A new Disney+ docuseries, Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, details the months leading up to the death of TV presenter, Caroline Flack, who took her own life after being charged with assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton. The incident occurred on 12 December 2019, after the couple had been on separate nights out and returned to Caroline's north London home together, where Lewis fell asleep.
As he slept, Caroline claimed she saw a message from another woman on Lewis's phone and accused him of cheating. When confronting Lewis, according to a Crown Prosecution Service report, "[Caroline] said that she had hit Mr Burton with her hand in which she was holding a mobile telephone but that there had been no intention to hurt him; she had been reckless".
The documentary, told through the eyes of Caroline's mother, Christine, makes the case that the CPS pursued Caroline unnecessarily – after initially dropping the charge against her and Lewis saying he did not wish to press charges – to make an example of her due to her fame, despite knowing how vulnerable Caroline was. The CPS denies this, stating they treated the Love Island host no differently to anybody else.
Days after the documentary's debut, Lewis posted on his Instagram Stories that he has been receiving online abuse: "Out of respect, I've chosen to remain silent. However, the false accusations and online abuse directed towards me and my family has gone too far.
"I had hoped it would never come to this, but I now have no choice but to clarify the situation and share the truth."
To date, he has not expanded on those comments or made clear what he hopes to clarify.
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Who is Lewis Burton?
Born 23 March 1992, Lewis Burton is a former professional tennis player (who peaked at #218 in the world in doubles) and who became widely known because of his relationship with TV presenter, Caroline Flack.
Following his sporting career, Lewis modelled and pulled in brand collaborations via social media.
He first began dating Caroline in August 2019 and the pair were a couple until her death in February 2020. However, due to her bail conditions, Caroline was forbidden from speaking to Lewis before she passed away.
According a report by The Sun, the couple were introduced through mutual friends. A source commented in August 2019: "Lewis has been a true gent to Caroline and has patiently waited to see her. She has been jetting back and forth between London and Majorca as she juggles her presenting commitments but they have been spending time together when they can.
"They feel comfortable in each other’s company and it seems to be going in the right direction."
What happened between Lewis Burton and Caroline Flack?
Following an argument on 12 December 2019, Lewis dialled 999 and accused Caroline of ‘trying to kill him’. It later transpired that he had sustained a minor head injury which did not require medical treatment, whereas Caroline spent 12 hours in hospital having self-harmed in the height of their argument. A now sadly recognisable image, of Caroline’s bed covered in blood, depicted the presenter’s own injuries – rather than Lewis’s. Her family say this element was widely underreported.
After learning that the police and Crown Prosecution Service were intent on prosecuting Caroline over the alleged assault, Lewis repeatedly stressed that he did not want that to happen, posting on his social media account: “Gutted I can’t spend Christmas with you. I want to repeat [that] I never pressed charges… I want this all to be over.”
Now, Caroline’s mother, Christine, documents her quest for answers from the tabloids, the police and the CPS in the new two-part series. It details how, in her mind, press persecution and a legal witch hunt against Caroline were undeniable elements in her death at the age of 40 and poses the question: was Caroline treated differently by the authorities because of her celebrity status?
Why isn't Lewis Burton in the new Caroline Flack documentary?
While Lewis cannot be extracted from this story, he does not appear in the two-part series personally – a decision that series producer, Sophie Clayton-Payne, said she understands during an interview with Cosmopolitan UK.
“We approached him right from the beginning, and we said ‘We'd love to speak to you, either [on or] off the record, just for research purposes. We'd also love you to take part in the series’. He declined the offer.”
Clayton-Payne adds that they kept the “door open throughout the process” of filming, which took close to a year, and updated him on their progress throughout. “It's really important to remember that everyone grieves differently. Lewis has never spoken about this publicly and we have a duty of care towards everybody on and off-camera.”
She continued, “If he didn't want to take part in this, we were never going to pressure him to do so.”
When speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Caroline’s mother, Christine, said the film was “never about personalities”, but rather deep-diving into how she feels Caroline was unfairly made an example of by the CPS, in a bid for it to be seen as tackling domestic abuse – a harrowing issue with abysmally low conviction rates in the UK.
“[Lewis has] gone on to have his life now, he's got another life. So I don't think anyone had to be dragged back into this film,” Christine reflects. “That's not what it was about. [Caroline’s] friend wanted to talk, Mollie, and she was with Carrie a lot during those final months and knew things I didn't know, so that was important.
“But Caroline hadn't seen Lewis after the incident, or wasn't allowed to see him. And so it didn't really seem that relevant, because everything he'd said was in writing.”
Many of Lewis’s social posts relating to Caroline’s alleged assault are peppered throughout the docuseries.
The CPS has since issued an apology for mistakes made in its handling of Caroline’s case, but maintains that she was not treated any differently from other defendants. According to a spokesperson, the decision to charge Caroline came after a review determined there was enough evidence and that pursuing the case was in the public interest. This decision followed a detective inspector’s appeal against an earlier ruling to issue only a caution.
Because Lewis later withdrew his original statement, prosecutors proceeded under what’s known as a “victimless” prosecution — a legal route often used in domestic abuse cases when victims no longer wish to press charges. The reasoning is that such situations can involve coercion or fear, and dropping the case could open up the victim to further risk while allowing the alleged offender to avoid accountability.
When questioned during an inquest held six months after Caroline’s death, a CPS representative stated that the case had been kept under ongoing review throughout the process.
Who is Lewis Burton in a relationship with now?
Lewis has been in a relationship with model and influencer, Lottie Tomlinson, the sister of One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, since November 2020. The pair got engaged in November 2023 and share two children, a son named Lucky (who the couple welcomed in August 2022) and a daughter, Flossie, who was born in January this year.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to Lewis Burton for comment.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, Samaritans are on-hand to listen day or night, call 116 123 any time for a confidential chat. You can also email jo@samaritans.org (please note: it may take a couple of days for a response).
Caroline Flack: Search For The Truth premieres 10 November on Disney+
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
